Parrott Insurance & Benefits is pleased to announce that Dan Odorizzi has joined the firm as a partner and practice lead in their Raleigh office. Odorizzi brings more than 18 years of experience in the employee benefits industry. He will develop and implement effective employee benefit strategies for business clients and will steer growth and development in the...
Read MoreClick here for February News & Updates. Topics include: – DOL Adjusts Labor Law Penalties for 2017 – New Expiration Date for Employer CHIP, COBRA General, and COBRA Election Notices – Reminder to Employers: Post OSHA 300A Summary – Medicare Part D Online Disclosure to CMS...
Read MoreAs a reminder, employers should note that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released a new version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. As of January 22, 2017, employers must use the updated form. Background Federal law requires employers to hire only individuals who may legally work in the United States–either U.S. citizens or...
Read MoreCONSUMER SENTIMENT SLIPS A BIT The University of Michigan’s preliminary February index of consumer sentiment came in at a reading of 95.7 Friday, compared with a final January mark of 98.5 (which was a 13-year peak). Economists polled by Bloomberg had expected a slight decline to 98.0. While this was the index’s lowest level in three months, it still...
Read MorePOSITIVES & NEGATIVES IN JANUARY’S JOB DATA The Department of Labor’s latest jobs report showed 227,000 net new hires last month. Unfortunately, wages grew just 0.1% in January as the headline jobless rate rose slightly to 4.8%. The U-6 rate, counting the underemployed, rose 0.2% to 9.4%.1 STRONG CONSUMER CONFIDENCE & SPENDING While the Conference...
Read MoreRISING WAGES, MODERATE HIRING IN DECEMBER The Department of Labor’s latest employment report shows the average hourly wage at $26.00 last month, up 2.9% in a year. That is the largest annualized wage increase seen since June 2009. Payrolls expanded by 156,000 additional hires in December, leaving total 2016 job growth at a 5-year low of 2.2 million. (This...
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